Restaurants and other types of retail outlets often provide cutlery utensils in open self-serve dispensing bins. Consumers may retrieve a fork, a spoon, a knife, a spork, and the like directly therefrom. Such open dispensing bins, however, may have at least the appearance of being somewhat unhygienic in that the cutlery utensils may not be enclosed or wrapped. Consumers may react negatively in that the remaining utensils thus may be touched or otherwise contacted while a selected utensil is being removed from the dispensing bin.
To address these concerns relating to the cutlery utensils, enclosed cutlery dispensers have been used. The cutlery utensils may be placed in a utensil compartment and may be dispensed one at a time on command. Generally described, these dispensers may operate via gravity or via a dispensing lever, a rotating belt, and/or other types of dispensing mechanisms. The mechanics of these dispensing mechanisms, however, may be complex and hence may be subject to malfunction. Further, these dispensers typically may be somewhat bulky and may occupy a significant footprint on an already crowded countertop and the like.
There is thus a desire for an improved dispenser for cutlery utensils and the like. Preferably such an improved dispenser may be easy and hygienic to load and to dispense the cutlery utensils therefrom with a reduced overall footprint and simplified dispensing mechanics.